The Wontumi Campaign Secretariat has defended Ashanti Regional Chairman Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, over his decision to swear in some constituency executives, insisting he acted in accordance with the New Patriotic Party's (NPP) election guidelines and not in defiance of the party's leadership.

In a statement handed to classfmonline.com, issued on Thursday, the Secretariat said the swearing-in followed the completion of constituency executive elections conducted under the party's approved election framework and supervised by the Electoral Commission in collaboration with the Constituency Elections Committee.

It said the elections were not a unilateral regional exercise but were conducted within a framework involving representatives appointed by both the National and Regional Steering Committees.

According to the statement, at the time Chairman Wontumi administered the oath of office to the elected executives, there had been no communicated decision setting aside the election results.

The Secretariat maintained that the swearing-in was an administrative consequence of an electoral process that had already been completed and not an attempt to undermine the authority of the National Party.

It, however, questioned the constitutional and legal basis for the National Steering Committee's decision to annul elections in some Ashanti Region constituencies.

Among other issues, the Secretariat asked under which provision of the party's constitution or the 2026 Election Regulations the National Steering Committee derived the authority to annul completed constituency elections, what findings were made against each affected constituency, what evidence established that the elections were conducted in breach of party directives or court orders, and whether the affected regional officers, constituency election committees and candidates were given the opportunity to respond before the decision was announced.

The statement further called on the party leadership to disclose whether any court injunctions formed part of the basis for the annulment and, if so, when such information was officially communicated to the Ashanti Regional leadership.

The Secretariat stressed that these were legitimate questions aimed at promoting transparency, accountability and constitutional governance rather than acts of defiance.

It also argued that while the National Steering Committee has supervisory responsibilities over aspects of the electoral process, decisions of such magnitude should be supported by clear constitutional authority, established facts and procedural fairness.

The Wontumi Campaign Secretariat urged party members to avoid inflammatory public commentary and allow constitutional processes to take their course, saying the strength of the NPP lies in resolving internal disputes through fairness, transparency and respect for the party's constitution.